The family of Henry Goodness is still to come to terms with the fate that has befallen them. The nine-year-old boy allegedly committed suicide, throwing the entire neighborhood of Angwan Yashi in Tudun Wada, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State into anguish.

They are also baffled at how a promising boy could terminate his life abruptly.

Henry’s body was found lying on the ground of the compound around 3.30pm on Tuesday by neighbours where he lived with his parents and siblings, with the rope still tied around his neck. The parents were not at home when the incident occurred.

However, his mother said she could not be fooled into believing that he killed himself. She alleged that Henry was killed and a rope apparently was put around his neck by the murderers to make it look like a suicide.

At the time of his death, Henry was a primary one pupil of Messiah Foundation Private School in Tudun Wada, Jos.

Hanatu, who spoke amid tears, said, “Nobody will tell me that my son committed suicide because when I left him this morning he was full of life. They have just finished their examination and he felt there was no need to go to school. He was playing in the house.

“On Tuesday I went to the hospital with Henry’s younger brother early in the morning and I left him in the house. He was full of life. After leaving the hospital, I went to visit my mother at Jenta Adamu and few hours later I got a call from my husband informing me that our son had been killed.

“I suspect foul play. I believe my son was killed and then his corpse was hanged. My son can never do anything like that he was full of life that morning. I’m calling on the police to do everything possible to bring the killers of my son to book.”

Not less perplexed was his uncle, Goodness, who said a neighbour called him on phone to tell him of the tragedy.

“I rushed from my office to their house and saw the boy hanging in the compound,” he said.

The dead boy’s grandfather, who called himself Pa Goodness, shared the views of Henry’s mother.

With tears dropping from his eyes, he said, “I suspect foul play. My boy could not have hanged himself, not for any reason. The boy had no problem at all. He had no reason to commit suicide. Something must have gone wrong. I would also want them to conduct an autopsy on my son.”

The house where the tragedy took place has over 20 tenants.

At Tudun Wada Police Station, our correspondent was told by a policeman that the case had been transferred to the A division of the state police command.

The state command’s spokesman, DSP Adigun Salawu, told Saturday PUNCH that the case had been referred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for proper investigation.

Salami said the police were working on a theory that the boy committed suicide because of the rope found around his neck.

H said. “We are working on the theory that he committed suicide, until the parents come up with any evidence of foul play. However, we are not ruling that out. We are exploring all angles to ensure that we get to the root of the matter.”

Is it the parents who should come up with any evidence of foul play – if any, or the police? I want to believe the police spokesman was ‘misquoted’

LopezoAbroad

I share your view Ibe. Lets believe the police spokesman was misquoted. In a normal society, it will not take more than one day to know if the boy killed himself (which is very strange for a 9 year old) or someone else did. Again, I have said this several times, our media need to step up the quality of their reporting. Even a little child would know that this report is not clean. Hanged in the compound? Rope around his neck? Laying on the ground in the compound? They just don’t add up ‘Editor Punch’.
I would like to know clearly how this 9 years old boy was able to hang himself and then brought himself down from the hanger and laid on the ground.
Rubbish.